A bill proposed in the House of Representatives seeks to block e-waste …

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Computer equipment and consumer electronics products often contain harmful substances that are damaging to human health and the environment. A growing number of states have passed laws that mandate e-waste recycling and safe disposal in order to keep the toxic materials out of landfills. Such policies seem like a win for the environment, but the truth about e-waste recycling is a lot grimier than it looks on the surface.

The e-waste industry has a dirty little secret: a significant number of the companies that provide e-waste recycling and disposal services in the United States are simply shipping our broken junk overseas, where it gets dumped in developing countries. The House of Representatives has introduced a new bill that aims to put the lid on trashy e-waste recycling business practices and improve the quality of electronics recycling programs.

The proposed law establishes export restrictions that limit the conditions under which used electronics can be exported to developing countries. The bill carves out a number of exceptions for refurbishment, reuse, and product recalls, but stipulates that legitimate exporters will have to show proper documentation to demonstrate that they aren't e-waste dumpers.

In addition to the export restrictions, the bill also calls for the formation of recycling research programs that will seek cleaner and more effective ways of recycling rare earth elements and other materials from discarded electronics. The dwindling supply of rare earth elements makes the need for better recycling practices very important.

The bill has bipartisan support and is expected to pass. A number of major hardware manufacturers—including HP, Dell, Samsung and Apple—have voiced support for the proposed legislation. HP issued a statement last week encouraging other companies to endorse the proposal.

"As an industry leader in product lifecycle improvements, HP does not allow the export of e-waste from developed countries to developing countries," wrote HP vice president and chief ethics officer Ashley Watson in a statement. "We support the work of Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) to pass the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act, and we encourage other companies to join the effort and promote responsible recycling."

Another major supporter of the bill is the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, a consortium of health and environmental organizations that collectively advocate more environmentally responsible manufacturing and disposal practices in the technology industry. The group's national coordinator, Barbara Kyle, published a statement outlining some of the reasons why the House's proposal is needed.

Kyle says that between 50 and 80 percent of the e-waste that we send to recyclers is exported to developing countries. Federal intervention is necessary, she says, because individual states don't have the authority to establish the export restrictions that are needed to make sure that state e-waste recycling laws aren't subverted by abusive recycling companies.

Due to broad bipartisan support, the bill is expected to pass. It is currently being reviewed by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. The full text of the bill is available on the House website.